Picture frame



Juy 35,19%. c. E. MxNNlcK PICTURE FRAME v2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26,` 1959 mmm m Patented July 15, 1941 AUNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE 2,249,663 PICTURE FRAME Charles E. Minnick, Union Bridge, Md.

Application October 26, 1939, Serial No. 301,499

(Cl. Li0151) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved picture frame.

As is well known, moving picture theaters practice the custom of displaying at the entrance to the theater or in the lobby thereof, so-called stills of the actors featured in the current picture offered as well as stills of certain sequences taken from said picture. Furthermore, it is the custom to display stills of coming attractions. The practice mentioned involves the use of easels and picture frames and creates the necessity of changing the stills displayed very frequently. In so far as known, easels and picture frames now used for the purpose mentioned more or less conform to old types which are not primarily fashioned to accommodate frequent change of lstills displayed, with the result that not only are the stills mutilated but also, the easel or frame itself is damaged through the difculty experienced in changing stills- An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a frame especially constructed for the purpose mentioned and wherein stills may be readily installed in the frame or removed therefrom without hurt to the stills or accretive damage to the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a frame wherein a display sheet will be employed, wherein a backing sheet will be provided to protect the display sheet, and wherein resilient clamping strips will be employed to tautly stretch and bind the sheets in place.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a frame wherein the clamping strips may be manually removed with ease or as easily replaced without injury to the sheets or the frame While, however, said strips will not spring out of place or accidentally become loosened or ineffective.

A further object of the invention is to provide a frame wherein the resiliency of the clamp-receiving parts of the frame will coact with the resiliency of the clamping strips themselves for yieldably accommodating, binding and frictionally holding the strips in place. y

Still another object of the invention Ais to provide a frame of metal fabrication whichV may be cheaply produced, which, therefore, may be offered at an economical pricey and which will ful-y ll the demand of the present scattered and multiplying number of moving picture theaters for a device of this kind.

And the invention seeks as a no less important object to provide a frame which maybe readily .n

embodied in an easel or fashioned to be hung upon a Wall.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will be grasped as the description proceeds and in the drawings which form a part of this application: K

Figure 1 is -a perspective view showing the invention embodied in an easel.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the connected rails of the frame, other parts being omitted.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail section on the line 4-4 of Figure l and showing the function of the clamping strips and how the leg strap of the easel is secured. 1

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of typical clamping strips.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the invention embodied in a'picture frame for use upon a wall.

Figure '7 is a vertical section on the line 'I-'I of Figure 6. I

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail section on the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of the frame shown in Figure 6, parts being omitted.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings, I have shown the invention embodied in an easel. In carrying the invention into eifect, I employ side rails I and end rails I I suitably joined at their meeting ends by corner unions I2 to dene a display opening. As seen in Figure 3, the end rails II overlie the ends of the side rails IB and the whole may be spot-welded or otherwise secured into a fixed rigid unit, all of the parts being of suitable resilient sheet metal.

The inner margins of the side and end rails are folded upon themselves to provide flanges I3, as seen best in Figure 4, while at their outer margins, said rails are rolled to provide cylindrical anchoring beads I4 each open at the mouth thereof. As will be perceived, the anges I3 and beads I4 imparta more or less channel shape to the side andend rails.

Extending substantially from end to end of the side and end rails II) and II are removable side and end channel shaped clamping strips I5 and I6 of suitable resilient sheet metal. At their outer margins, these strips are provided with upturned iianges I'I while at their inner margins said strips are formed with upturned walls I8 somewhat wider than the flanges II and provided with inturned overhanging iianges I9. 'Ihe clamping strips are thus substantially identical, the only difference being a matter of length.

In conjunction with the clamping strips I5 and I6 I also provide a back sheet 20 which may be of any tough paper or other approved material and to adapt the structure for use as an easel, I further provide a leg 2|. Mounting the leg is a flexible cross strap 22 of canvas or the like, the upper ends of the side members of the leg being swingingly connected to said strap by suitable hinges. The exact construction of the leg as well as the construction of said hinges is not important. It should be noted, however, that the leg may be swung to lie at at the back of the side and end rails I0 and I I.

In the drawings I have conventionally shown a display sheet at 23. So-called stills as used by moving picture theaters are prevalently lithographed or otherwise imposed upon such a sheet while a single sheet often carries several pictures showing different individuals or different sequences. However, as a conventional variation, the sheet 23 is not infrequently formed with openings through which separate photographs at the rear of the sheet are displayed.

To mount the sheet 23, the strips I5 and IS are first removed when said sheet is manually positioned to overlie the free edges of the flanges I3 of the side and end rails I0 and II to extend within the channels of said rails, when the back sheet 2) is positioned over the display sheet at the back thereof. The supporting strap 22 of the leg 2l is then arranged to extend against the back sheet betweenthe side rails II) near the upper ends thereof when one of the clamping strips I5, for instance, is engaged within one of the side rails I, as will be later explained, for securing the corresponding margins of the sheets as well as one end of the strap 22. The other of the clamping strips I5 is then engaged with the remaining side rail IIJ for securing the opposite corresponding margins of the sheets as well as the other end of the strap 22 when, in like manner, the end strips I6 are engaged with the end rails II for securing the end margins of the sheets. Thus, the sheets Will be fastened at their several margins so that the sheet 23 will be supported to display the pictures thereon at the display opening provided by the rails Ii] and I'I while the strap 22 will be anchored at its ends for supporting the leg 2i so that, as seen in Figures l and 2 of the drawings, the leg may function to sustain the device in operative position.

As the clamping strips I5 and It are alike, except as to length, as previously noted, function alike and are installed or removed in like manner, it is necessary to make explanation in connection with a single strip only, the showing of Figure 4 being chosen Vfor convenience.

As will be appreciated, the adjacent margins of the sheets 2@ and 23 and the adjacent end of the strap 22 initially extend limply across the edge of the flange I3 into the channel of the adjacent rail Iii so that the coacting clamping strip i5 may be readily positioned thereover. Initially, the strip is tilted so that the flangeY II thereof may be inserted through the mouth of the bead I 4 of the rail I@ when the strip is manipulated to engage said flange within the bead. The iiange i9 is then grasped and the strip swung to seat in active position within the rail. Thus, the margins of the sheets 2! and 23 as well as the end of the strap 22 will be clamped between the flange I3 of the rail I9, and the wall I8 of the strip I5 which flange and Wall will coact to yieldably grip said margins and the strap. Further-more, as the strip I5 is swung into active position, the wall I3 will drag against the back sheet 2B with constantly increasing friction for stretching the sheet as well as the sheet 23 taut so that the display sheet will be smooth throughout its area to properly display the pictures thereon. 'The back sheet 2!) will, however, protect the sheet 23 against abrasion. Should one or more openings be provided in the sheet 23 to display photographs, as previously noted, said photographs Will be conned between the sheets l2l) and 23 while the sheet 20 will rmly clamp the photographs in proper position.

As the strip I5 approaches its seated active position, the wall I8 will coact with the adjacent margins of the sheets 2D and 23 for wedging the strip sidewise toward the bead I'4 of the rail II) with the result that the flange II will be caused to bind within the bead against the top and bottom portions thereof. Thus, when the flange comes to rest, further sidewise wedging pressure on the strip I5 will tend to cause the flange II toexpand the bead sothat the resiliency of the bead will be utilized along with the resiliency of the flange I3 and wall I8 for yieldably gripping the `margins of the sheets 23 and 23 as well as the adjacent end of the strap 22 between said liange and wall.

As will be seen, the bead I4 of the rail I) and flange I1 of the strip I5 provide a loose hinge connection between said strip and rail so that said strip will not likely become displaced accidentally. However, by inserting the fingers beneath the flange I and pulling rearwardly thereon, the strip may be readily swung up out of the rail It and, if so desired, completely detached when, of course, the sheets 2B and 23 as well as the strap 22 may bereadily displaced.

In Figures 6 to 9 inclusive of the drawings I have shown a picture frame constructed to be hung upon a wall. The side and end rails employed are indicated at 24 and 25, the corner unions at 2S, the clamping strips at 2'I', the display sheet at 28 and the back sheet at 23, all of these parts corresponding to like parts of the embodiment of the invention ilrst described and functioning in like manner.

The anges at the inner margins of the rails 24 and 25 are indicated at 3D, these anges co1'- responding to the anges I3, and formed on the flanges 3) are lateral lips 3l projecting into the display opening provided by the rails 2d and k25. Seated against the lips 3| is a pane 32 of glass, against the rear Vface of which the display sheet 28 lies, and struck from said lips as well as from the flanges 39 are overhanging tongues 33 centering the display sheet in position upon the glass pane 32. The display sheet may, of course,

be a photograph or other picture and is of a size corresponding substantially to the size of the glass pane. Y

:In this variation, I employ a pair of straps 35 corresponding to the strap v22 rst described, and extending between the straps 34 is a likecross strap 35 to which, as shown in Figure 7, a suspending cord 36 may be attached for hanging the device' upon a wall. lExcept as noted, this vari iation of the invention is identical with the prior embodiment thereof and further description is accordingly believed unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I. A picture frame including resilient channel shaped side and end rails connected to form a display opening for a display sheet, certain of said rails being provided at their Vinner margins with lianges and at their outer margins with beads, a back sheet overlying the display sheet at the rear thereof, and resilient channel shaped clamping strips removably wedged within said certain rails and provided at their outer margins with flanges engaged in said beads and at their inner margins with walls clamping interposed margins oi the back sheet between said walls and the flanges of said certain rails for securing the display sheet in position.

2. A picture frame including resilient channel shaped side and end rails connected to form a disply opening for a display sheet overlying certain of said rails at the rear thereof, said certain rails being provided at their inner margins with flanges and at their outer margins with beads, and resilient channel shaped clamping strips removaby wedged within said certain rails and provided at their outer margins with flanges engaged in said beads and at their inner margins with walls clamping interposed margins of the display sheet between said walls and the anges of said certain rails.

3. A picture frame including resilient channel shaped side and end rails connected to form a display opening for a display sheet overlying certain of said rails at the rear thereof, said certain rails being provided at their inner margins with flanges and at their outer margins with beads, resilient channel shaped clamping strips removably wedged within said certain rails and provided at their outer margins with flanges engaged in said beads and at their inner margins with walls clamping interposed margins of the display sheet between said Walls and the iianges of said certain rails, a strap removably secured at its ends by said clamping strips, and a supporting leg carried by said strap.

4. A picture frame including resilient channel shaped side and end rails, certain of said rails being provided at their outer margins with beads and at their inner margins with flanges having lips projecting laterally therefrom, a transparency seated against said lips and adapted to receive a display sheet thereagainst at the rear thereof, a back sheet overlying the rear face of said display sheet, and resilient channel shaped clamping strips removably wedged within said certain rails and provided at their outer margins with anges engaged in said beads and at their v inner margins with walls clamping interposed margins of the back sheet between said walls and the flanges of said certain rails for seeming the display sheet in position.

5. A picture frame including channel shaped side and end rails connected to formr a display opening, certain of said rails being provided at their inner margins with means forming yieldable flanges and at their outer margins with stop means, and channel shaped clamping strips engaged within said certain channel shaped rails to coact with said stop means and provided at their inner margins with means forming yieldable flanges limited by said stop means to cooperate with the former flanges and wedge interposed margins of a sheet between the yieldable anges of the rails and the clamping strips.

6. A picture frame including side and end rails connected to form a display opening, certain of said rails being provided at their inner margins with means forming yieldable flanges, and clamping strips engaged with said certain rails and provided at their inner margins with means forming yieldable flanges to cooperate with the former flanges and wedge interposed margins of a sheet therebetween, said certain rails and the strips being provided at their outer margins with means hingedly connecting the parts.

CHARLES E. MINNICK. 

